Katoen Natie and Konecranes have inaugurated two all-electric Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Cranes at the Port of Antwerp, marking a new milestone in the companies’ cooperation and in the transition toward more sustainable, high-performance cargo handling. The investment combines all-electric drive technology with long-term service support to help Katoen Natie reduce local tailpipe emissions while maintaining high operational availability.
In total six cranes were ordered in the first and the last quarter of 2025 and for Katoen Natie’s operations at their three deep-sea multipurpose terminals in the Port of Antwerp. The fleet comprises four ESP.9 Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Cranes, each with a maximum lifting capacity of 200 metric tons, and two ESP.8 cranes, each with a maximum lifting capacity of 150 metric tons. All cranes are equipped with Tandem-lift Assistant, enabling a combined maximum lifting capacity of up to 400 metric tons.
Each crane features a Konecranes all-electric drive system that integrates an external power supply with rechargeable batteries. The solution is designed to optimize energy efficiency and produces zero local tailpipe emissions during operation. The battery-supported architecture also allows the cranes to move independently between operating positions without relying on a diesel engine.
Based on their expected annual operating hours and compared with conventional diesel-powered mobile harbor cranes, the six all-electric cranes are expected to reduce Katoen Natie’s operational carbon emissions significantly per year. This represents a strong commitment by Katoen Natie and Konecranes to advancing more sustainable port operations, demonstrating how technological innovation, operational performance and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.
The investment in these six all-electric cranes forms part of Katoen Natie’s broader energy transition strategy. Building on its long-standing investments in renewable energy generation, including solar and wind power, the Group is now further expanding its energy infrastructure through large-scale battery storage and upgraded electrical networks. Together, these investments are creating the infrastructure needed to support the further electrification of operational equipment across Katoen Natie’s sites and to progressively reduce the carbon footprint of its operations and customers’ supply chains.
To support high availability and minimize downtime, all six cranes are equipped with Konecranes TRUCONNECT remote condition monitoring. The delivery also includes a long-term service level agreement, with predictive servicing based on condition monitoring provided by Konecranes Service Frontline in Belgium, as well as special spare-parts packages for efficient maintenance.
Vincent Vandecauter, BU Manager Port Operations, Katoen Natie, says, “Investing in our first fully electric mobile harbor cranes is a forward-looking choice that prepares our operations for the future. By combining high performance and flexibility with zero local tailpipe emissions, we are taking a concrete step toward the next generation of cargo handling and reinforcing our ambition to lead the industry’s transition to more sustainable operations. We are pleased to take this step together with our long-standing partner Konecranes.”
Tomas Myntti, President Konecranes Port Solutions, says, “This project sets a clear direction for the entire industry. It shows that large-scale electrification of mobile harbor crane operations is not a distant ambition, but a practical reality today. We are proud to support Katoen Natie in reaching this important milestone.”
